U2’s Bono took up smoking while recuperating

While recovering from an emergency back operation Bono spent the two months kicking back, writing songs, eating ice cream and taking up smoking again.

Two weeks ago Bono played his first gig since he was rushed into the hospital in a near paralyzed state. He’s now back on form and playing with the rest of U2 on the European leg of the ‘360 Tour’.

In an interview he said “One of the things you can do when you're lying down like that is to write, so I wrote. Lying motionless I also had time to think about the future, because I never think about the past.

"The other thing I did was to eat ice cream and I also started smoking again."

At a recent concert in Italy he spoke about his operation and said “That's in the past now and I'm very much fit for the future.

"This band is like a family. I am the prodigal son. I would like to thank my brothers for their patience."

Bono was told to give up smoking in the 1990s when a doctor warned him that it was the cause of a serious sinus infection. He started again in 2003 and gave up shortly afterwards.